Hey everyone,
I’m Switch 4, and I’m running for CSM.
I ran previously during CSM 19 because I believed low-sec, Faction Warfare, solo pilots, small gangs, and smaller organizations needed a stronger voice.
A lot has happened since then.
We have seen substantial development in Faction Warfare, major changes to capitals and industry, continued iteration on Pirate FW, and meaningful attention given to problems that players in our communities had been raising for years.
A huge amount of credit for keeping those conversations moving belongs to the work done through those in CSM 19 and 20 who put an incredible amount of effort into representing Faction Warfare, low-sec, and small-to-mid-sized organizations through communities like the Low Sec Union and FW Parliament.
I don’t want that work to stop.
I’m not running to tear everything down and present a giant list of things FC has supposedly gotten wrong. A lot of good work has been done. I’m running because there is still work to do, new systems to evaluate, old systems to continue improving, and a community that deserves to keep its voice at the table.
My EVE Online Story
I have played EVE since 2007. In nearly twenty years, I have managed to find my way into just about every corner of this game at one point or another. I have done the high-sec carebear thing, I have lived in nullsec and experienced the insanity that comes with the massive blocs, I have mined, manufactured, run PvE, managed structures, dealt with logistics, FC’d fleets, and have dedicated more hours to this game than I would ever want to calculate.
I actively fly everything from frigates to supercapitals.
But through all of it, my heart and home has always been low-sec piracy. My PvP roots go back to the early days of Minmatar FW, where I became heavily involved as an FC and learned what made FW such a unique part of EVE.
It gave newer pilots somewhere to learn PvP, it gave experienced pilots constant fights, it gave small groups somewhere they could matter, and most importantly, it created the kind of unpredictable player-driven stories that have kept many of us playing this ridiculous game for far longer than we probably ever intended.
Today, I still live in Amamake. I am the CEO of Heretic Army, an alliance executive in SEDIT, and a lead FC and organizer for the public Angel Cartel community. That last part has given me a very different view of modern Faction Warfare. I went from the old Minmatar militia experience to helping lead players in one of EVE’s Pirate Factions. I’ve now watched FW evolve from what it originally was, through Uprising, through the introduction of Pirate FW, and into the system we are playing today.
I have seen great ideas work, and watched other systems completely miss the mark. I have seen nerfs that were desperately needed and others that probably went a little too far. And I have learned that very few problems in EVE are as simple as they first appear.
Outside of EVE, I have kids, work full time, and volunteer in public safety as a firefighter, EMT, and search and rescue diver. As Captain of our dive team, I have learned the importance of clear communication, level-headed decision making, accountability, and being willing to address difficult problems directly.
I am not afraid to stand behind what I believe, but I’m also not afraid to listen, have a constructive disagreement, or change my position when somebody brings better information to the table.
I think those qualities matter on the CSM.
My Areas of Expertise
My strongest areas are low-sec, Faction Warfare, Pirate Faction Warfare, unstructured PvP, fleet command, and the realities of operating small-to-mid-sized organizations.
I am not going to pretend to be an expert in everything EVE. Even after nearly twenty years, I’m still learning new things about this game every day. Where I have experience, I will bring it. Where I don’t, I will find and listen to the people who do.
Factional Warfare
FW is one of the areas I know best. I was involved in the early days of Minmatar FW, and today I see the system from the Pirate FW side through the Angel Cartel. Modern FW is dramatically different from what we had years ago. A lot of good work has already been done, but there is still plenty left to do.
With the new release, we FINALLY saw SOME iteration on Pirate FW, giving us shorter insurgencies, new sites, and a greater emphasis on winning instead of the constant cycle of draws.
BUT, I REALLY want to see Pirate FW continue developing into something communities can actually build around, with meaningful identity and purpose beyond LP farming and multiboxing.
Unstructured PvP
This is probably the part of EVE closest to my heart. Low-sec is at its best when players log in without knowing exactly what is going to happen.
A small gang roams through; someone gets caught, their friends show up, you escalate, they escalate, someone does something stupid, someone else does something even more stupid, and half an hour later there are capitals on grid and everybody involved has completely forgotten what started the fight. THIS is peak EVE for me.
Ships, Gameplay & HUD
I regularly fly everything from frigates through capitals and supers, and I want changes that give people more reasons to do the same. For me, good ship and gameplay changes should create more meaningful choices, more reasons to undock, and more opportunities to escalate without taking away the things that make different styles of combat fun.
The same applies to the HUD and UI.
I support improvements that make important information clearer and reduce unnecessary friction, but I do NOT want EVE to become overloaded with warnings, indicators, prompts, and constantly competing information. The new HUD that has been presented is a good example of where that balance matters. More information is not automatically better information.
The goal should be to make the interface clearer and more useful without burying players in visual noise or taking attention away from what is actually happening in space.
Industry & Markets
I am not a Jita market wizard. I dabble in personal industry and PI. My experience comes from running organizations that depend on industry: ships, structures, fuel, moons, PI, manufacturing, logistics, capital production, and replacement hulls. I want to continue seeing healthy markets and industrial systems that keep ships affordable enough to use, resources worth fighting over, and industry tied directly to content generation across New Eden.
Sovereignty & Logistics
My perspective is primarily from running smaller organizations rather than giant null blocs.
Structures, fuel, hauling, deployments, timers, capital movement, administration and leadership workload hit small and mid-sized groups very differently than they hit massive coalitions. Those organizations matter, and I want to better understand their perspectives and explore changes that account for the needs of groups of all sizes.
Having dealt extensively with nullsec force projection into our area of low-sec over the last six months, the new Ansi changes are particularly relevant to me. I’m eager to see how these restrictions affect smaller organizations, regional conflicts, fleet mobility, and the ability of large alliances to respond to fights far from home.
Highsec & New Players
High-sec is not my specialty, and I won’t pretend otherwise. But every part of EVE depends on new players sticking around. EVE does not need to become easy. It needs to become easier to understand.
Faction Warfare can be one of the best bridges from being a brand-new player to becoming an active PvPer. Sometimes all somebody needs is a cheap frigate, a fleet invite, and someone willing to answer questions.
EVE Online & Vanguard
My experience with Vanguard is more limited, so I would lean heavily on people who actively play both games. My basic view is that the connection should make players of each game care about what happens in the other without making either game feel mandatory to enjoy the other.
Why Am I Running?
Because the work isn’t finished.
Two years ago, I felt low-sec and FW needed stronger representation. Since then, we’ve seen what sustained community advocacy and CSM representation can accomplish, and I want to see that progress continue.
My experience in traditional FW, Pirate FW, low-sec piracy, and alliance leadership has given me my own perspective on the challenges facing our communities. I want to bring that experience to the CSM while continuing to learn from players across New Eden.
My campaign is primarily focused on:
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Low-sec
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Faction Warfare
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Pirate Faction Warfare
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Solo and small-gang PvP
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Small-to-mid-sized organizations
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Ships and escalation gameplay
But I also understand that none of those systems exist in isolation. Industry feeds PvP. PvP creates industrial demand. High-sec creates future low-sec, nullsec and wormhole pilots. Every part of EVE affects another.
I ultimately want to make sure the players in low-sec and FW continue to have a strong voice with FC, and that the progress made over the last several years keeps moving forward.
What Can Players Expect From Me?
You can expect me to be accessible. My DMs are open. I will listen to people outside my corporation, alliance, faction, and area of space. I will disagree with people sometimes, and I’ll explain why. I want to continue the community-focused approach that has worked well for low-sec advocacy: discussions, roundtables, talking directly with the people actually using these systems, and turning complaints into useful feedback.
I’m also not going to pretend I know something when I don’t. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find somebody who does.
My Main Priorities - TL;DR
Continue Faction Warfare iteration
Keep building on the progress already made instead of letting FW stagnate.
Develop Pirate FW
Build on the insurgency changes and give Pirate factions stronger long-term identity, objectives, and reasons for communities to organize around them.
Keep low-sec dangerous
Support the mix of piracy, industry, structures, capitals, resources, FW, and independent groups that make low-sec unique.
Support solo, small-gang, and mid-scale PvP
Not every meaningful fight should require hundreds or thousands of players.
Keep ships worth undocking and losing
Affordability matters, but so do usefulness, counterplay, escalation, and reasons to risk expensive ships.
Support small and mid-sized organizations
Evaluate the impact of the new force-projection changes while continuing to examine the economic, logistical, and administrative challenges facing groups.
And the Truly Critical Issues
Some positions from my previous campaign remain non-negotiable:
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More Police SKINs
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Custom manufacturable fireworks
I remain prepared to die on these hills.
If you want to talk, disagree, complain, suggest something, or just shoot the ■■■■ about EVE, reach out. You don’t need to be blue, and you don’t even need to like me. If there’s a legitimate issue affecting your part of EVE, I want to hear it.
You’ll also be able to find me on various streams and interviews throughout the campaign, which I’ll keep updated below.
Heretic Discord
Angel Cartel Public Discord
Twitch
Fly dangerous,
Switch 4
CEO - Heretic Army
Alliance Executive - SEDIT
Angel Cartel FC
CSM Hopeful
